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"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
(Galatians 6:2)
Ready for another inspiring quote? Here it is:
Quote 4: "There is such JOY in serving others, helping and meeting needs!" (Loren Garofalo)
Rich and Loren Garofalo are a sweet Christian couple who live in Gulf Shores, AL. They are a delight to be around. I first met them years ago at an SBC meeting in Orlando, FL. They were baptized by Pastor Johnny Hunt about 15 years ago at the First Baptist Church of Woodstock, GA. They are retired and live on the beautiful gulf coast of Alabama. I was reacquainted with them while Ashely and I were on our sabbatical. We saw each other at FBC Gulf Shores. Rich and I played golf together a couple of times, and they even had us over to their lovely home for dinner.
Hurricane Sally hit the gulf coast pretty hard last month, and the Garofalos, like our family members, Larry and Evelyn Bowman, had much debris to clear away due to the hurricane force winds. Fortunately, none of them were injured, and their homes were not severely damaged. However, there was much work to be done in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally. Loren writes often about her experiences in her Facebook posts, which are always so informative and inspiring to read. She and Rich are some of the most optimistic people you will ever meet. Loren battled through a severe case of COVID-19, and right after she got better, the hurricane came.
But as you can tell in her quote, she is full of joy and loves serving others. She and Rich pitched in and helped many of their neighbors. It was so encouraging to read how those in their community really stepped up and met needs, and in the words of the Apostle Paul, they bore each other's burdens. I don't know if you have ever cleaned up after a hurricane, but let me tell you, it is some serious work!
Loren writes about experiencing the joy of Jesus as she served others, helped where she could, and met needs. You may be thinking, "How can she be so optimistic after surviving COVID-19 only to be met with a hurricane?!" Loren loves Jesus, and it shows in how she lives her life. She refuses to let circumstances, harsh as they may be, to get her down for long. She and Rich are an inspiration to me, and I am grateful to God that He brought them into my life.
I read the other day that you can tell how mature a person is by what it takes to upset them. We may have no vote in what actually happens to us (tragedies, hurricanes, sickness, etc.), but we always can control our attitude. We can throw our hands in the air and complain non-stop, or we can grab a chainsaw, a rake, and some gloves and go help a neighbor in need. (Some of you, like me, probably should not grab a chainsaw, though… just saying.)
Jesus said it best when He said in Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Be open to the Lord today and the opportunity He may present to you to be truly blessed and full of joy as a result of serving others.
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